Without The Girl On Fire
by it-was-enchanting
Summary: Sequel to 'The Boy Without The Bread.' The 74th Hunger Games are over, the victor chosen. Now, it seems, the Games have finally begun...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own a copy of the Hunger Games. But I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**NEW STORY! If you haven't read 'The Boy Without The Bread' I suggest you do, so you will understand this more, as it is the sequel.. :D Please?**

**Okay, the credit for the pretty amazing title goes to KelsNicole92. Thank you so much! :) **

**Okay, first chapter... hope you all like!**

Delilah's POV

I wake to the noise of a rattling noise downstairs and smile to myself. I sit up, pushing back my quilt, and walk to the window. I pull the curtains apart and grin, finding the sun shining brightly outside always cheers me up. I dress quickly in a silk green shirt and matching skirt, with black leggings underneath. I walk down the stairs and smile at the sight of the little girl with the blond hair with blue eyes standing on her toes to reach the top cupboard where I keep the herbs.

"Hey, Prim." I say, and she turns, almost dropping the bowl of basil leaves she is holding in surprise.

"Hi." Her quiet voice, the blush on her cheeks, the way she is clutching her hands together, her fingers wrapped around each other, reminds me so much of the way she stood six months ago, when I first approached her, after being awarded with my house in the victors village, gawked at by the entire District, and when I received gasps when I asked where she lived.

I remember her face, which showed an expression of complete disbelief, but after the conversation, when she told me everything she knows about her big sister and I told her everything she told me, how she loved her more than anything, how she wouldn't kill Rue because she reminded Katniss of her...

The expression then, through the tears streaming down her face, was one of admiration. I felt the same. I admired the girl who was so fierce over getting revenge for the death of her sister, who died for her. _Because of me._ She had wept to me, but I grabbed her wrist, and made her look into my eyes and tell her that this isn't her fault.

It is their fault.

I said this to her, made her repeat it.

And she did. Then her sorrow was overcome with anger at the Capitol.

And she vowed revenge.

This all rushes through my head as she looks nervously at me.

"Did I wake you?" She seems nervous, but I like her and her mum, Camellia, staying here. They haven't been here long, but a tile on their roof collapsed and caused water to leak through, which collapsed the remainder of the roof. So I invited them here. I have spare room, food, money. And I like them both a lot. When I first spoke to Camellia, I asked why she had named both of her daughters after flowers, plants.

She pointed out her first name was a flower. Camellias. I think of the meaning, but nothing comes, so she tells me, 'Gratitude, everlasting love. I admire you.'

And I admire her. Her strength now, even though Prim once told me in a hushed whisper that she 'left' them when their father died. I hear her whisper to herself sometimes, when she thinks that Prim and I, when I am around, can't hear. 'You promised Katniss.' And I hear her, and I know Prim does.

I come back to the present and quickly realise that Prim is talking. "…...victory tour." That is all I hear, but I know what she is saying. "Tomorrow is the victory tour."

I sigh, nod, and sit at the table, smiling when I see the goat's cheese and fresh bread on the table.

Tomorrow.

Peeta's POV

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I have to tour the districts, the homes of the children I killed, with Delilah. We have spoken since the Games. We are friends, even. But she was more interested in finding Gale.

Gale. When I think of Gale, I think of Madge.

Madge.

Madge, who isn't here.

Madge, who is dead.

I pull the arrowhead, which is resting on a chain around my neck, and press it into my skin, clutching it in my palm.

_Together. Katniss and I should be doing this together._

Tomorrow.

**Yeah, I know. Short. But I didn't want to start the tour, and I wasn't even going to start it today!**

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	2. Chapter 2 Watching

**DISClAiMER: In my own imaginary little planet, I own the Hunger Games. Not here. Sadly.**

**SECOND CHAPTER! Thank you for all the favouriting and alerts! And reviews! They all make my day :D**

**Okay... here we go!**

Gale's POV  


Watching. I watch the screen, watch as Delilah and Peeta smile at each other, dressed in extravagant clothing, a flowing blue dress, a silk blue shirt, straight black trousers, blue heels.

Watching.

I can't help but wish that it wasn't that girl stood there. That it was Katniss, and that Madge was sat here beside me, thankful for our lives.

But it isn't. Katniss didn't win. Madge isn't here.

The pain stabs me again, the grief never leaving. Why? Why couldn't she have killed that other girl, Delilah, and come home?

Watching.

Peeta's POV

They tried to make me take the arrowhead off. I refused. Completely. They said the red tip didn't go with my outfit, but who cares? It is all I have left of her now.

My jaw drops as I see Delilah in a stunning blue dress, strapless, coming to her knees, her hair blows, styled perfectly, eyebrows plucked, make up done.

She looks stunning.

I quickly close my mouth, smile and walk over to her. I walk at her side, making small talk about the weather, resisting the urge to tell her how beautiful she is. Instead I compliment her dress, how the colour matches her eyes. She smiles, and replies thank you, but I can tell by the confused look in her eyes that it is only for the cameras.

I don't like her like that. I know I don't. I don't feel for her how I felt for Katniss. I don't think I could ever feel like that about anyone again. I like her as a friend, though. A lot.

But, she seems to be more interested in Gale.

Gale.

I have spoke him once since my return to 12. My second day back, when I returned Madge's bracelet. I asked him to give it to her, but he told me that he couldn't. I could see the tears welling up in his already puffy red eyes, so I asked him the only question I could think off.

"Why?"

"Because she is dead."

I remember the world spinning, and blacking out. Waking up in the apothecary, being told by a tearful Prim that I had fainted.

I asked her about Madge, and she explained that she had been involved in a car accident in the Capitol. They couldn't save her.

Every time I have seen Gale since, he has been wearing the bracelet.

I blink, trying to focus on the present, but it seems that no-one was paying attention to me, anyway. All eyes are on Delilah, as she makes a speech, and I instantly know that this isn't good news from that fiery look in her eyes.

Watching.

Prim's POV  


I watch the screen in horror as Delilah yells her response to the seeming harmless question.

"What is it like to be victor?"

"What is it like to be victor? Well, picture this. Think about the worst moments of your life. Think about reliving them constantly, over and over in your head every night. Think about having no way to rid of those images, of the horror of it all. And the worst part? It isn't my fault. It is the Capitol's, They are the ones who make us fight, they are the ones who make us watch, year after year, as our friends, family, are killed. Think about the fear of watching that on-screen. Well, imagine watching it first hand, watching two innocent girls be blown up. Think about that. So what is it like to be victor?" Her voice has quieter now, and her last sentence is said slowly, so it is barely audible.

"A living hell."

I gasp. She can't say that! I watch to see her next move, and when I glance at Peeta, I see his expression is filled with horror, too.

Then something even more surprising happens.

She starts to laugh.

I mean, really laugh. A cover up, I think. But that won't fool us. In the Capitol, maybe, but not here, Not in the Districts.

The reporters begin to join in, and even Peeta gives an unsure snort, but me, Gale, mother and the rest of Panem aren't. We are here.

Watching.

**OKAY! Yeah, I know short, blah, blah, blah. But, tomorrow is FRIDAY! Which means I will have longer to update, so it will, I promise, be longer.**

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	3. Chapter 3 Crazy

**DISCLAIMER: This is a fanfiction. If I owned the Hunger Games, it wouldn't be, would it?**

**Yep. Sorry. Late update, but I have been busy! Sorry! Please leave your complaints in reviews. Thanks. **

Peeta's POV

Crazy. Insane. Incredible. Confident. Amazing. Stupid.

Those are just some of the words that I am using to describe Delilah right now. Did she really do that? That speech. Yesterday, when we were still in 12. She seriously did, didn't she?

Wow.

She blamed the Capitol for the deaths, practically telling everyone she hates them. On live television.

Crazy.

Of course, those who live there were easily fooled. The laugh after must have convinced them it was a joke. Surely.

But not in the Districts. What is she trying to do? Start a rebellion?

And then it dawns on me. That is exactly what she is trying to do.

And as I am ushered from the prep room to make my grand entrance to District 11, I realise, and finally understand.

And as she walks out of her prep room, dressed in a stunning light yellow frock that becomes to deepen into an orange colour that imitates the sunset exactly, I can only match once of those words to her.

Crazy.

Delilah's POV  


I love my dress. It doesn't match my hair colour, but I don't care. Sunset. I love it. In the Capitol, I spent every night on the roof, watching the sun set, signalling the end to another day, counting down to my death, as I surely didn't think that I would be here now.

I walk to the right side of Peeta, holding my head high, smiling at the admiration in the eyes of the District 11 citizens. For surely, my speech yesterday has them wanting more, more defiance, more strength.

But not today.

No, today, we are remembering Rue, and tonight, when there will be a ball, I will say something. But not now. Now is for the little girl.

I look down at the platform that was made for the grieving family, and a stab of anger and fury washes over me, and I force myself not the shout out obscenities at the Capitol for them being there, for the fact that there is a little girl missing from that family because of them.

_Not now._

I think to myself, _tonight_, _now, is for Rue._

I tune back into the present to see that Peeta has finished his part of the scripted Capitol reply, and I begin to conclude. I finish neatly, in a strong, steady voice, and move on to my own part of the reply.

"Rue was an amazing little girl. She had the strength, the wit, the cunning to live for as long as she did. The only reason she died was because she refused to kill a friend. Like so many of you here would do if put into that situation. She was 12."

I am getting carried away now, but the anger is surging through me, making my blood boil more and more with every word.

"She didn't deserve to die. She was blown up by the Capitol because she refused to kill their slaves for them. So thank you, District 11. For the amazing little girl that you presented the Capitol with. For the amazing little girl that the Capitol killed."

Silence.

I look around at the faces of the district's people, and all of their expressions mirror each other.

They all think the same thing. They all think that I'm crazy.

Maybe I am, a bit.

Prim's POV

I stare at the screen in shock. Is she serious? First, the speech yesterday, but she managed to cover that up pretty well with the laugh after. But what can she do now? What could possible do to convince anyone that she isn't against the Capitol?

I sigh and lean back into his arms, feel them fold around me. I don't know what I would do without him.

I know mother disapproves, she thinks that 13 is too young to have a boyfriend, but I need him. He knows exactly what to say to make me feel good, to sheer me up, to make me smile when I think that there is nothing left to live for.

I need him.

"Prim?" I look up, his face full of worry, concern for me.

"I'm okay." I say, snuggling further down into his arms, resting my head on his chest, and focus on the rest of the tour.

I look at the face of the girl who has just openly blamed the Capitol for killing Rue, who has just said that the only reason she died was because she refused to kill a friend. My sister.

This girl is crazy.

And I love it.

Gale's POV

A rebellion! She is trying to start a rebellion! She must be, she has made two anti-Capitol statements on live television. She must be.

Adrenaline is coursing through me now, and I leap up from the couch, and heading for the door, when I glance at the bracelet and realise that one of the charms has fallen off.

My eyes dart around the room and I search frantically, and eventually come across the small heart.

I pick it up when a small not falls from the inside.

"_Are you with me?" _

This isn't Madge's writing, but someone else's. Someone who has just cause a fire to burn in the hearts of the District's.

She is crazy.

Of course I am with her.

**Okay! I hope you all like! If you have any suggestions, please let me know! And one other think...**

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	4. Chapter 4 It's Almost Over Now

**DISCLAIMER: If this was opposite day, I would own the Hunger Games. But it isn't.**

**Okay! I am SO sorry for not updating yesterday, but I was sooo busy! So instead, there will hopefully be two updates today! Yay! **

**THANK YOU! To KelsNicole92 for some upcoming ideas in the story. YAY!**

Peeta's POV  


I watch in complete horror as Delilah continues, District after District, to make speeches about how the Capitol, how this is all their fault. And time and time again, the crowds absorb her words, and become angry as her anger seeps into their own blood, making it boil.

In District 8, the peacekeepers start to gun people down.

By the time we get to District 1, I am completely drained of energy, and my clothes begin to be taken in, and the bags under my eyes have Portia and the prep team fretting, but I don't care. I am sure that Delilah is deliberately trying to be killed.

But the Capitol can't kill her now. That would only strengthen the already strong blaze, even an 'accident' would be too suspicious now. No, they have to keep her alive.

They will just make her life a living hell.

_It's almost over now._ I think to myself as the train pulls up, and I am left thinking about the career District that I am entering.

District 2 was the worst visit yet. Delilah's speeches of anger against the Capitol didn't wear well with them, they don't care about the hardship of the other District's, they are right in the Capitol's pocket, and Delilah's talk seemed to get them angry at us, not the Capitol.

And then there were the families. Delilah killed Clove, and I killed Cato. I try not to look at his grieving family while I give my Capitol scripted speech.

I sigh as the train door opens and I prepare myself for the grieving family of another boy I killed. And for another speech.

_It's almost over now._

Gale's POV

_It's almost over now._ I think. How long is this tour, anyway? My impatience for Delilah's return is making me agitated, and I can't sit still any more. I work twice as fast at the mines so I can hunt. That is the only thing that takes my mind off the rebellion.

Because when Delilah returns, I am going to get her to help me.

To plan an uprising.

My eyes are glued to the television, and my jaw drops when I see Delilah. She is wearing a strapless gold dress that clings to her curves, flowing out at her waist and ending just above her knees. It shimmers when she walks, and the gold flat sandals with silver straps studded with red gems adds to the effect.

She is precious. A precious gem.

Her hair is pinned back up with several pins that have red gems matching those on her sandals, and her red hair almost seems like fire, being lit up with the gold.

Wow.

_Stop!_ I think to myself. 6 months ago, I thought I was in love with Madge. But now, I have an overwhelming fire burning up inside me, and I want to reach through the screen, touch that dress, kiss her.

I think I am falling in love.

With Delilah.

Prim's POV

I hold onto his hand, looking up into his eyes, and take a deep breath.

"Rory?" I ask, biting my lip.

"Yeah? Are you okay?" He sounds so concerned, so worried about me. Me.

"Delilah. I saw her with Gale's charm bracelet. She was putting something in one of the charms, I think. I know they have been talking a lot since she came, but I thought that was because of Katniss. You don't think there could be...something else, do you?"

I look at him as he thinks about what he just said.

"You mean, like...dating?"

I nod.

He shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe? I mean, they have been spending a lot of time together lately, but..." He trails off, so I smile a thank you at him and watch the rest of the victory tour, District 1, then the Capitol, then here. They will be heading to the Capitol soon, and it will be on television tonight, as District 1 is so close to the Capitol, it won't take long for them to get there.

I watch as Peeta does his part of the scripted reply, and I notice he seems much skinnier than before he left. The stress of Delilah's 'I Hate The Capitol' speeches are really showing on him, pulling him into the depths off worry, about being dragged down with her, I guess.

I stare at the screen, anticipating another rant against the Capitol as Delilah finishes the reply, but she seems to be taking a different route this time, maybe because District 2 didn't go too well.

"I didn't know Glimmer that well. I knew she liked him" she gestures to Peeta, who blushes "a lot, and that she would do anything to win. But the Capitol, they made it so that it was hard. She couldn't find her true love, win, or even live because they made it so that she would be killed. Why? What did she do to deserve that?" Normally, she speaks in anger, but now she is speaking softly, in a tone that makes me realise that Glimmer never found her true love, and I feel pity for her, and I am sure this is what Delilah was aiming for, and that this is what everyone in District 1 is feeling too.

I listen as mummers of unrest sweep through the crowd, as if the unfairness of the Games has finally dawned on them, like they have only just realised.

Then Delilah curtseys and walks from the stage, clutching the plaque and the flowers she was presented with earlier, leaving Peeta to follow. I look at his face, at the face my sister loved, and tears suddenly begin streaming down my face.

"Prim?" Rory tilts my head so I am looking at him. "Are you okay?" The concern in his voice makes my cry harder.

"It's just...look at him! He is falling apart! This tour...Delilah...Katniss...it's killing him!"

I am breathing heavily now, gasping for air in-between my tears. Rory pulls me close into his chest.

"It's okay. It's almost over now."

It's almost over now?

It's only just begun.

**Yay! Okay, hopefully there will be an update later! Sooooo...please review this chapter!**

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	5. Chapter 5 Where Shall I Begin?

**Disclaimer: The Hunger Games? Do I own them? Nope. No way. Nu-uh. **

**YEP! This is the second update today! **

**Credit for ideas go to Pure At Heart and KelsNicole92. Thank you!**

Delilah's POV

The Capitol. Am I scared? No. They can't touch me, not really, but I am not stupid as to try something here. That would be suicide. I walk into the ball with an ill-looking Peeta in a floor length halter neck white ball gown, which is studded with emeralds around the waist, along the bottom of the dress and along the neck. My hair is loose, and I have emerald earrings and a tight gold band with emeralds on. I really like it, and don't intend on taking it off much, now.

I ignore the gasps and mummers as I enter the room, heading straight for a table of soups, but on last thought decide to drag Peeta with me. One glance at his weary face shows me that he would rather be reliving the arena than be here on this tour. I wish I could tell him what I am trying to do, but I can't, not here. I can't tell him of the mysterious rumours of District 13, of how I need to go.

Not here.

He doesn't say anything for the entire evening, and after a few attempts, I give up trying to talk to him and lose myself in the Capitol delicacies displayed all around the gigantic ballroom. I eat until I feel like I can burst, then I turn to Peeta.

"Are you finished eating?" He nods in reply.

"Do you feel like dancing?" He looks shocked, but shrugs and speaks for the first time tonight.

"Sure." And with that, he grabs hold of my hand and pulls me towards the dance floor.

As we begin to dance, a slow song comes on, and Peeta pulls me close.

"Tell me. What is this about?" He sounds forceful, and I feel intimidated by him for the first time.

"I can't. Not here. Wait until we get back to 12. To many cameras." I reply timidly, and I watch as he glances sidewards to see if I am right, and sure enough, a camera crew is resting at the table of soups I first visited.

"Okay." He says, twirling me around, causing my dress to billow up around me as the song changes into another dance.

Peeta's POV  


Home. We are finally on our way home. Portia has allowed me to choose my clothes for our return to 12, as the harvest festival doesn't start until afternoon, so I pick a pair of jeans and a simple plain blue shirt.

I feel the train halt, hear the sound of the doors sliding open, and I leave my train carriage and grab a black jacket, which is hauntingly similar to the one the tributes wore in the arena, and pull the hood up around my face, making it off the train unnoticed, and swiftly make my way to the Victor's Village.

I push the door to my house open and go into my favourite room, the study where I paint, when my jaw drops and my blood turns icy cold.

Sat in my house, in my study, in front of me.

President Snow.

"Mr. Mellark." He sets down the book he was reading.

"Now, where shall I begin?"

Prim's POV  


Delilah flops next to me on the sofa and I smile.

"Did you miss me?" She teases, and I immediately blush as when she comes to rest her feet on the table her eyes light upon two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Two?" She raises her eyebrows questioningly, and the blush on my cheeks deepen as I hear the toilet chain flush and Rory comes back into the room.

"Prim, is was wondering, do you think that I should tell Gale about us dating..?" Rory's voice echoes down the hallway, and as he pushes the door to the lounge open his face is overcome with an expression of total surprise.

"Oh! Your back! I guess that I should be going, umm.." Rory stammers out and I can't help but laugh at Delilah's amused expression.

"Dating?" She asks, and I nod, standing up and walking to Rory, clutching his hand.

"Okay then. Um, Rory, I was going to see Gale now. Did you want me to tell him about the..dating for you?" She offers, and I watch as Rory's face reddens as he nods.

"Okay. Then, I'll see you two _love birds_ later then." And with that, Delilah walks over to the open window, swings out, landing delicately on the ground and heading across the green of the Victor's Village, leaving Rory and I wondering what just happened.

**Yep, it was short, BUT it was today's second update, so.**

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	6. Chapter 6 Of Course, Primrose

**MISSING! Funny, cool, witty disclaimer. Talks about how I am not Suzanne Collins, never will be and that I don't own the Hunger Games? Have you seen it? If so, please click the blu button at the end of this story. THANK YOU!**

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**Just realised I didn't update yesterday! SORRY! So, for that, this chapter will be EXTRA long...**

**ON WITH THE CHAPTER!**

Peeta's POV

I take, slow, wooden steps towards the stool opposite the desk that Snow is sat at. I sit down and look up, right into his eyes.

The eyes of the man that killed Katniss.

He laughs softly as a wave of pain at the thought of her flickers across my face, and then he starts talking.

"So. I guess your wondering why I am here." This isn't a question. It's a statement, but I nod anyway.

"Delilah. Those...rants about the Capitol. They have caused...disruption in the Districts." He speaks painfully slowly, as if he has to spit the words out.

"As I am sure you understand, that is unacceptable. The Capitol needs to have control of Panem. Without a leader, the Districts would crumble. Don't you agree?"

"Yes. I agree."

"Good. Well then. I think you can already predict what your job is. Stop her. Stop these little rants, and the uprising I am sure she is planning. Do you understand, Mr. Mellark?"

The smell of the roses he is wearing are overpowering, but it isn't just roses. Something else, too. My mind is too fuzzy to speak a reply, so instead I nod my head, and the President rises to leave.

He walks over to me, leans down and whispers into my ear.

"If you succeed, then you can have your girlfriend back. Miss Everdeen, hmmm?"

And with that he leaves, and doesn't turn back until he reaches the door.

And once again, I am left looking into his eyes.

Wondering what I am supposed to do now.

Katniss.

Delilah's POV

I smile when I see Gale sat on the floor in his house, staring aimlessly into the fire. I tap lightly on the window, making him jump, but his face soon breaks out into a grin, and he hurries to the door to open it. His smile is so wide, he looks so pleased to see me that I launch myself into his arms and hug him.

My skin tingles as he hugs me back, wraps his strong, powerful arms around me, and I can almost hear electricity zap between us. I feel my cheeks go red, my heart beat speeds up, and I look up, but don't release him. I see him looking down at me, so I quickly bury myself further into his chest, and feel his heart beating as fast as mine, and as I glance upwards I see his cheeks flushed, matching mine.

His grin is so genuine, so heart stopping that I can't help it. I stand on my tiptoes, tilt my head up and pull his down towards me, and before I can kiss him, he kisses me.

I never want to break apart. I can feel the elation of the kiss on my lips when he does, and all I can think about is the strawberries he tastes off.

"Hi." I whisper, still clinging to him.

"Welcome back." He replies, and I reach up and kiss him again.

Welcome back.

That is so much better than I thought it would be.

And now I am left looking into hie eyes.

Prim's POV

I stifle a giggle as Rory pretends to faint at the sight of Gale and Delilah making out in their front room. We followed her from my house after I saw how obvious it was that she likes him, and Rory said that he seemed 'into her', so I wanted to see their reunion. And I really wasn't disappointed.

Giving into the urge to giggle, I laugh as I try to pull Rory from the patch of grass in his garden, but instead he pulls me down, and says "Gale always said I was like him, so.." and then he kisses me, too.

I really hope that Gale and Delilah work out. She likes him, I can tell. More than Katniss ever did.

Suddenly, I pull away from Rory.

"What's wrong?" He asks, concerned.

"Peeta. I haven't seen him yet."

"Want me to come, too?" He asks, but I shake my head.

"No. You go and talk to your brother." I laugh as we both look into the window where Gale and Delilah are still kissing, oblivious to the conversation we are having right now.

"Sure." And with that, Rory walks into his house, winks at me, opens the door.

"Hey Gale, I was wondering... Woah!" I laugh as I watch trough the window as Rory walks into the room and Gale and Delilah break apart, cheeks burning red. And with the image of Rory laughing in my mind, I walk across the Seam to find Peeta.

Gale's POV

"Rory!" Delilah and I fly apart, and I feel my cheeks burning,

"Well, I didn't expect that!" He laughs, and I feel anger burning up inside me, but I can't think of anything to say as a comeback.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you and Prim making out on my return home either!" Delilah shoots back, and Rory instantly stops laughing.

"You and Prim?" I gasp, and Rory's eyes go wide with terror as my fists curl into balls at my side.

"Umm, Delilah, mind if I see you again later?" I ask her, and she smiles and I walk over to her, give her a light kiss and wink and she grins at me, walking away.

"Now. You." I say to Rory, who is now stood in a position that supposedly makes him seen 'tough'.

"Sit." I say to him, and he stalks over to the couch and sits as far to the edge as he can.

"Primrose Everdeen? Really?" I ask, and I watch as his eyes light up at the sound of her name, as his cheeks flush as he starts to babble on about her, and I know instantly that this isn't a little boy crush.

"Stop." I say, and he instantly does, and I sit closer to him.

"You hurt that little girl, I swear I will hurt you so much worse than you did her. Got it?" I say this in a voice that scares even me, but that little girl, Katniss would do anything for her. Did anything for her, and I swear, if she got hurt...

"I would never hurt her. I love her, Gale." The anger, passion in his voice surprises me. I didn't know my little brother had it in him.

He really is in love with her.

"Good to hear it. And, she is very pretty." He grins and blushes, and then, I think, to cover up his own embarrassment, he says "Well. Spill. You and Delilah, hey?"

I laugh and slap him on the back.

And now I look into his eyes and tell my little brother, who isn't that little any more, the truth.

Peeta's POV

I stare at the wall for what seems like minutes, but when a knock on the door disturbs me, I find it has actually been hours.

I walk to the door and open it to find Prim. Primrose Everdeen. I decide now that I am always going to call her Primrose. I don't know why, it feels right.

"Primrose! I need to talk to you!" I say, and I realise that I do. That I am going to tell her about President Snow's visit, for surely she could help me convince Delilah to stop the rebellion.

She smiles gratefully and goes to step into the house, but I stop her, grab my jacket from the door and shut it and gesture for her to follow me.

I walk to the Meadow, and on the way I talk to her in a hushed voice about my visit from Snow.

"Primrose?" I ask, alarmed as tears start streaming down her face.

"Primrose? Why do you call me that?" She asks, turning to me.

"I-I don't know. I can stop if you want its just..." I stammer out, but she cuts me off.

"My father always called me Primrose." She whispers.

"I am so, so sorry! I'll stop, I'm sorry!"

"No!" She says, alarmed. "Please, don't! I like it! Katniss loved you, loves you! Please, your my big brother now! Please?"

Big brother. That innocent little face makes me want, need Katniss now more than ever.

"Of course, Primrose."

Prim's POV

I smile, looking into his eyes.

"Of course, Primrose."

Katniss.

**Thank YOU to KelsNicole92 for the Gale-Rory talk! Yay! And to PureAtHeart for upcoming ideas...**

**Please Review! Pretty please? No account needed! **


	7. Chapter 7 Always An Illusion

**HELP! Still, no one has seen that disclaimer! It says something about me not owning the Hunger Games and not being Suzanne Collins?**

**Sorry! No update yesterday! This one isn't very long, either. It is positively short. But I has to cut it off there! I couldn't help it! **

Prim's POV

There is some 'special programming' on tonight that we have watch, and my heart beat speeds up as I watch President Snow walk on stage. I am sat on the couch in Delilah's house with Rory, mother is washing pans in the kitchen, which is joined to the lounge, where the door is open so she can see us.

Rory, of course, notices my change in mood and clutches my hand as a little boy walks to the stage with a wooden box, which is filled with cards, numbered '25' '50' '75' '100' and I realise that these are the cards that hold the twist for the Quarter Quell, which celebrates every 25 years of the Hunger Games. It adds some other miserable twist for the tributes.

The President runs his fingers over the cards as he reaches number 75. He pulls it out and smooths out the envelope, casually taking the paper from inside.

"As proof to the rebels that even the power of love cannot overcome the Capitol, for the 75th Quarter Quell, a male tribute will be reaped and the closest female to them of reaping age will be joining them."

My heart strains at the thought of Rory being reaped, of me going with him, of my Mother, Delilah, Gale, Peeta losing someone else in there lives.

Of course, Rory knows what I am thinking and immediately reminds me that there are so many boys in the Seam with tesserae, and since he has never taken any as Gale took it when he was younger and Delilah helps them out now, he doesn't have any.

"Safe. We're safe."

But isn't safety always an illusion?

Gale's POV

The day of the Reaping. For the first time since I was 11, I am not herded into one of those roped of areas. I am safe.

_But isn't safety always an illusion?_

Katniss' voice rings clear through my head, with a quote she used to so often say. I hear Prim say it now, too.

Delilah isn't here. She is at 5, mentoring. She had to attend Reapings, and had to leave yesterday.

I hate it without her.

Posy clutches my hand, clinging on for dear life as Effie Trinket wobbles over to the Reaping ball in her way to high heels and pulls out a name.

"Rory Hawthorne."

What? How? I watch as my little brother walks to the stage, head held high. I can see the fear in his eyes, though. I can see that it isn't for him, too.

I watch as Effie Trinket natters on about the twist, as she turns over the piece of paper Rory's name was on. As she reads the name.

"Primrose Everdeen."

Peeta's POV

"No!" I watch as Gale shoves through the already parting crowd towards the stage.

"Please? Please let me go instead! I'm 19, only one year older! Please?"

I watch the startled look on Effie Trinket's face as she is faced with the dilemma.

I watch as Primrose's eyes fill with tears.

I watch the grave look on Rory's face.

And there isn't anything else I can do.

Volunteer?

Yes. That I CAN do. But would it help? Everyone knows my strengths, my weaknesses, and the closest female to me of Reaping age is still Primrose.

What else can I do?

Delilah's POV  


They keep changing the rules this year! In five, there was a little boy reaped, and his little sister was his counterpart, and then suddenly, a very, very handsome young man volunteered, but has was 19. But they let him! I suppose it being the Quarter Quell made it easier to change rules. The little girl was also replaced by a young woman, who was obviously the man's girlfriend. I know that the male tribute from 5 has no intention of coming home unless the 2 person rule still counts, but I'm not sure.

I watch the television flare into life as the District 12 Reapings come on, and as Effie Trinket totters on her heels over to the Reaping ball.

"Rory Hawthorne."

Tears begin streaming down my face as he walks to the stage, as his female companion is read out. I already know who it will be.

"Primrose Everdeen."

I watch her, too.

Then Gale runs to the stage, begging for the chance to volunteer. I am suddenly filled with anxiety that he could be killed, I mean, sure he is 19, but they changed the rules here in 5!

Then Peeta comes towards the stage, demanding he go into the Games. A very overwhelmed Effie Trinket calls the Reaping to a halt while she talks to someone to make a decision.

Then we cut to an advert.

_What just happened?_ I think to myself. If they chose Gale, I will be in there with him, maybe even if they chose Peeta I will be, too.

_But isn't safety always an illusion?_ I remember Katniss' voice in the arena when I suggested a 'safe' place to camp.

And as the television comes back to life, I can't help but think she is right.

**Yep. The End of the chapter now. And for those people thinking 'didn't Peeta and Prim talk to Delilah after President Snow visited?' that will be in a flashback soon enough. **

**EVEN if you HATED it, please review?**


	8. Chapter 8 Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve

**DISCLAIMER: The Hunger Games? Heard of it? I don't own it.**

**New chapter! This was fun to write, so enjoy! **

**WARNING: INCREDIBLY SHORT CHAPTER NOW!**

I grasp her hand on the train, wanting more than anything to leave, to go back to the Reaping, change everything. Make it so she didn't have to go through it again, lose something else. People who love her, love me. Why?

Fixed. It must be.

I stare out of the train window, looking at the fast moving sights as she looks at me. I can't even look her in the eye now. It's my fault she's here, right?

Tears begin to drip down my cheeks.

"Are...are you okay?" She asks, alarmed.

I'm not. I shake my head and she hugs me.

The train pulls up at the station, and I look into her eyes, standing up.

Not once does she let go of my hand.

…... POV 

I watch the screen blankly, horror taking over me as the recaps of the other Reapings are shown. Sparkel and Donivi from 1, Paprika and Colan from 2, I can't remember the names of 3, they aren't competition. Risanna from 4 looks like the last of the Careers, as the boy is an arrogant 12 year volunteer who looks like he won't even last the bloodbath.

I am careful to note those from five, Elsah and Jonah, 15 and 16. They both have the traditional striking red District 5 hair. The girl's green eyes are frightened but strong, whereas the boy's have that... fire.

Six, Seven, Eight. The only pair of them I think will be competition are Seven, Amarisa and Corden. They are both 18 and probably took that one tesserae to many. With his big build and determined face, he grabs the girls hand and thrusts it forward, showing everyone the ring that is on her finger.

Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve.

The face of the girl from Eleven clutching the little boys hand as she walks up breaks my hear. Kelsey and Evander. I like them already.

The District 12 Reaping breaks my hears, and as I stare at the television as the drama unfolds. I can't stop the tears streaming down my face as the pair finally chosen, doomed, walk away. I can't help it.

I make notes in my head of the connections between the tributes, well, the ones that I think are threats.

Sparkel and Donivi, 17 and 15. Cousins.

Paprika and Colan, both 16. Twins.

Risanna and the brat of a volunteer that got her into this mess, 18 and 12. Siblings.

Elsah and Jonah, 15 and 14. Best friends.

Amarisa and Corden, 18. Fiancé's.

Kelsey and Evander, 17 and 12. Sister and brother.

Then 12. I watch their faces flash on screen for the last time.

Nine, Ten, Eleven.

Twelve.

**Yep. SHORT! BUT, I couldn't decide what to do next, so I thought I'd let you. **

**VOTE ON THE POLL PLEASE! I am NOT going to UPDATE until I have a decision! SO PLEASE DO! AND...**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9 Author's Note!

**JUST REALISED! That I said the boy from 5 was a 19 year old volunteer, so I have decided it was the guy from 6 instead.**

**I AM Sooooo SORRY!**

**Okay... so this is a kind of add on to the last chapter! **

Six. Seven. Eight.

The pair from 6 are originally a 13 year old boy, who's counterpart is a little girl. Then a 19 year old boy volunteers, and they let him! The little girl is replaced by a woman who is so obviously the man's girlfriend, and it is immediately noted in my head that this is a tribute to look out for.

Serane and Meridan of District 6. Lovers. The first 19 year olds to enter The Hunger Games.

Immediate threats.


	10. Chapter 10 Another Author's Note

**ANOTHER AUTHORS NOTE!**

**We have a tie! 40% want Peeta and Delilah, and 40% want Rory and Prim!**

**SOOOO... there will be another poll to choose again between the two! Please vote ASAP so I can get a real chapter up!**

**THANK YOU!**


	11. Chapter 11 I Have A Plan

**...discLAMEr: The Hunger Games? They aren't mine. Okay?**

**YAY! Thank you for voting, we finally have a result! So here we go...**

Rory's POV

I stare at the television as it flares into life. I watch as the chariots roll out, one by one. Watch as the District 12 Chariot comes out of the big, heavy wooden doors. Listen to the uproar the crowd makes as Peeta and Delilah stand strong again, for the second year in a row.

I stare, thinking that it could have been me. It should have been me...

_Gale is begging with Effie Trinket to take my place. "I volunteer!" Peeta yells, and I look at him in complete horror. Effie Trinket leaves to make a phone call, and returns. I cling tightly on to Prim's hand, never letting go._

"_District 12's male tribute this year is..." She pauses for a dramatic effect, and I want to scream 'Just tell us you idiot!' I don't, but she tells us anyway._

"_Peeta Mellark!" Mine and Gale's mouths drop open in shock, one of us were sure we were going to lose a brother. _

"_And his female counterpart is..." She ruffles a piece of paper, and I feel my heart drop. Just because I'm safe doesn't mean Prim is._

"_Delilah Arryn!" I hug Prim tightly, tears dripping down my face. _Safe. _We are both safe._

_The crowd mummers in shock, and I hear someone shout. "But she isn't from 12!" _

_Effie Trinket, apparently, was expecting this outburst. "She has had District 12 citizenry for almost one full year. She is now qualified to be reaped."_

"_But she is mentoring 5!" _

"_She is District 5's victor. Now, District 12's tribute. A hovercraft is transporting her now, and she will be replaced as the mentor for District 5."_

"_Past Victors can go in now, then?" _

_This crowd is determined to trip Effie Trinket up, but she is well prepared and one step ahead of the Game._

"_As it is a Quarter Quell, previous rules have been revoked. The reaping age no longer stands, and it doesn't matter how many times you have been in the Games now."_

_The crowd is silent, until the buzz of a hovercraft alerts us of Delilah's arrival. She walks from the back of the parting crowd, where the hovercraft dropped her off and walks to the stage, head held high._

"_And with that, I give you Peeta Mellark and Delilah Arryn, tributes of District12!"_

_Not one person claps._

I watch the boy and girl who have sacrificed themselves for me. Me and Prim. She is sat next to me, tears dripping gown her cheeks. I pull her close, and she curls up against me, huddled together on the couch in the house of a girl who might be dead in weeks.

_Safe._ I think. _We are safe. For now..._

Delilah's POV

As the chariot rolls out into the City Circle, I can't help but think of how my situation was so different last year. I thought I was going to die. I thought I _had_ to. But no.

_Not this year._

This year, I am coming home.

We all are. I am going to make sure of it.

Suddenly, I flashback to a conversation Prim, Peeta and I had.

"_Katniss. She's alive." Peeta said, whispering in a tone that shows he can't believe it, he could get her back. "What?" I gasped. Alive! "President Snow visited him...he said that if you stopped the rebellion, we could have her back."_

"_Me? I have to stop? The Rebellion? The speeches?" I stammer out. I have to put out the fire I have started to get her back._

_Peeta and Prim nod, and tears fill my eyes. "I can't. We can't. We have to keep going for Katniss! To beat the Capitol! We can't stop now!"_

_Peeta and Prim look at me in shock, in horror. _

"_No? You won't save her?" Peeta asks, but Prim is nodding in understanding._

"_Your right. It's your decision, we were just...hoping." And then the little girl, the little sister of the girl who's life I could save, dragged out her big sister's boyfriend, who was screaming obscienities at me..._

I have a plan.


	12. Chapter 12 Seconds

**Disclaimer: I am no where near amazing enough to have wrote the Hunger Games...**

**Sorry for no update yesterday! SO here is todays! **

**I am skipping the Chariot Rides! Yeah, I will do maybe a flashback but I want to start the Games!**

…...

**Sixty.**

Delilah's hair blows around her face, and she catches the scent of salt water.

**Fifty-Nine.**

Peeta looks over to Delilah, wishing for her he hadn't volunteered. It wasn't fair.

**Fifty-Eight.**

But since when was any of this fair?

**Fifty-Seven.**

_My hair. _Delilah thinks vengefully. _I hate this place already. To windy._

**Fifty-Six.**

_Water?_ Peeta thinks. _But I can't swim._

**Fifty Five.**

Water, water, everywhere. Delilah tries to make sense of her surroundings.

**Fifty-Four.**

But she can't see very well, her hair is getting in her eyes.

**Fifty-Three.**

A Cornucopia. There are some equally space spokes between the tributes that lead there.

**Fifty-Two.**

Peeta is desperately trying to think of a way out. _I can't swim!_

**Fifty-One.**

Delilah suddenly becomes aware of the other tribute on her podium. Kelsey from 11.

**Fifty.**

She thinks of their agreement. _Allies._ And they shook hands.

**Forty-Nine.**

Peeta looked at the boy he was sharing his circle with. Evander from 11. An Ally.

**Forty-Eight.**

He finally spots Delilah, her short red hair covering her face, her eyes. She is with Kelsey.

**Forty-Seven.**

Peeta notices that the tributes are split into boys and girls. 10 and 9 are together, 11 and 12.

**Forty-Six.**

As Delilah glances around the circle, she notices that the tributes are placed in districts.

**Forty-Five.**

She immediately feels sorry for the girl from three, next to the scary girl from 4.

**Forty-Four.**

Peeta sees that Elsah and Jonah are far away. The other 2 members of his alliance can't swim.

**Forty-Three.**

Hardly anyone here can. District four, yes. That 12 year old brat and Risanna.

**Forty-Two.**

Peeta hoped Delilah wouldn't be too mad when she found out she was part of their alliance, too.

**Forty-One.**

_As soon as I get a knife, I am cutting my hair off. _Delilah thought.

**Forty.**

She spoke to Kelsey, the 17 year old girl who wanted so badly for her brother to come out.

**Thirty-Nine.**

"I will do anything to save him." The words she speaks reminds Delilah of someone else.

**Thirty-Eight.**

Katniss. Where is she now? What is happening to her?

**Thirty-Seven.**

Peeta is sure he will never sleep here. It reminds him of her. The love of his life.

**Thirty-Six.**

Are they to late to save her? Is she dead?

**Thirty-Five.**

Delilah saw Peeta's face drain of colour. He must be thinking about her.

**Thirty-Four.**

Of course he is. This time a year ago, he had her.

**Thirty-Three.**

Delilah swallows as the guilt washes over her. _My fault._ She thinks. _Mine._

**Thirty-Two.**

_She is alive! I know she is! I will win and save her... _Peeta tries desperately to convince himself.

**Thirty-One.**

Delilah looked at the children in this ring. _They don't deserve to die_. She thinks. _Not this way._

**Thirty.**

…...

**A bit rubbish, I know, but oh well! Tomorrow I will have the other 30 seconds followed by an extra special POV, and credit for the idea of that POV goes to KelsNicole92! Thank YOU!**

**Please vote on my POLL for my SYOT story, I need help desperately for it! Thanks! **


	13. Chapter 13 Tick, Tick, Tick

**DISCLAIMER... The Hunger Games? They aren't mine...yet...**

**YAY! Next chapter! I had fun writing this, so enjoy...**

…...

**Thirty.**

Prim looked frantically at the screen, counting down the seconds.

**Twenty-Nine.**

For the gong. For the killing to start.

**Twenty-Eight.**

_This is my fault._ Rory thought. _That should be me._

**Twenty-Seven.**

But he couldn't. He couldn't do that to Prim.

**Twenty-Six.**

To the girl with the beautiful blond hair and blue eyes, that still twinkle.

**Twenty-Five.**

She told him. She told him about Delilah and Peeta, and the visit from the president.

**Twenty-Four.**

And he held her as she cried.

**Twenty-Three.**

Prim watched as Delilah talked to the girl from 11, the 17 year old.

**Twenty-Two.**

The one with the 12 year old brother. _Allies_. She thought.

**Twenty-One.**

She saw Peeta, and his pale face as he looked around the ring of children.

**Twenty.**

Children he must kill to come home.

**Nineteen.**

Rory clasped Prim's hand, thankful they were watching, not experiencing.

**Eighteen.**

_Selfish._ He thought, ashamed of himself. He shouldn't be thinking that.

**Seventeen.**

_I couldn't do it._ Prim thought. _I couldn't kill them._

**Sixteen.**

_I'm not strong. Not like Katniss or Delilah._

**Fifteen.**

As Rory looked at Peeta, he imagined that it was Gale, that he was killed.

**Fourteen.**

He instantly felt the horror that Prim must have felt last year. The pain. And this wasn't real.

**Thirteen.**

Tick, tick, tick. Prim counts down the seconds.

**Twelve.**

The seconds until she has to see the girl who was like a sister to her.

**Eleven.**

The boy who was like a brother, kill or be killed.

**Ten.**

Rory began breathing heavily in anticipation. They were going to begin.

**Nine.**

They watched as Delilah readied herself, to dive in.

**Eight.**

_But they can't swim! _ Prim thought as Peeta looked helplessly around the circle.

**Seven.**

What are they going to do?

**Six.**

Almost. Rory could see the eagerness to kill in the eyes of the other tributes.

**Five.**

He could see the fear in their eyes as they looked to their loved ones.

**Four.**

He could see the fear in the eyes of _ his_ loved one as she stared at the screen.

**Three.**

Waiting. Watching.

**Two.**

For the Games to begin.

**One.**

The sound of a gong echoed through the room of the house in the Victors Village.

…...

Katniss' POV

I spat in his face. He told me to _"enjoy the show!"_ What else was I supposed to do? President Snow. That insensitive jerk.

They are letting me go after this. It was planned. They knew he would volunteer for Rory. For Prim.

But go where? Not back to 12. To another district, maybe?

But I am getting away from here.

I stare at the screen that takes up most the wall. The room resembles last years arena.

I block out the mental images that come to mind. They aren't of the Games, but of the torture Madge and Gale endured whilst they were here. That killed her.

My best friend. She died because I did. But I didn't. They saw the fire inside of me, of Peeta, Madge, Gale, Delilah. And if they have me, then I can be used as...blackmail. To get them to stop.

He met him. President Snow met Peeta. Tried to convince him to get Delilah to stop in exchange for my life.

Apparently, it didn't work.

I'm glad. I want to help. And if helping means dying, then I'll die.

It didn't work.

And now, I have to watch them fight.

As the Games begin...

**Thank you to KelsNicole92 for the Katniss idea and her support throughout these stories, with her ideas and reviews! You rock!**

**PLEASE read my other story, The Harder They Fall. Even if it is just the chapter titled 'Competition'. I have a poll to chose between the tributes, but it has resulted in a TIE.**

**PLEASE READ IT AND VOTE!**

**And, please, please, review!**


	14. Chapter 14 Enjoy The Show!

**DISCLAIMER: The Hunger Games? Heard of 'em? They aren't mine. Suzanne Collins owns them. Unfortunately.**

**SORRY for not updating! I have been soo busy this weekend! I hope this update makes up for it...**

Katniss' POV

Torture. That's what this is. Living the Games and watching someone I love do them same.

But this time, there is nothing I do to help him this time.

_Swim._ I think to Delilah as she splashes around in the waves, but she is afloat still. She reaches a stretch of land with much difficulty, but I know she will pick up easily. I am panting already, even though I haven't personally done anything, the effort that it took Delilah to reach the land strip has took the energy out of me.

Because I am her. Last year, Madge was me. This time, I am Delilah.

An overwhelming sympathy for my dead friend comes over me. She had to watch me, knowing that if I died, she did too, and have no control over it. And Gale. She had to hope that Peeta would stay alive...

Peeta. I love him so much that I can feel my heart swell, the palms of my hands become sweaty at the thought of watching him die.

_He won't die. _I tell myself determinedly. _He can't._

I feel myself tearing up at the thought of losing him.

I can't. Not now. Not now I finally have a chance to get him back.

If he wins, we can go. Change into Capitol citizens, live free.

But without my family. Without District 12. Without Prim.

_Can they both survive?_ I wonder as I watch Peeta and Delilah walk with their alliance, which have apparently been reunited. The other tributes have figured out that the belts make you float, and they are all reaching the Cornucopia.

_Let the Games begin..._

Delilah's POV  


I frantically search the Cornucopia for a backpack, for food and water, as this water here is salt water, and we can't drink that.

But there isn't any. Only weapons, weapons, weapons.

I grab a knife set and a spear for me, and some other random weapons for the rest of my alliance, who are all reaching the Cornucopia now. Kelsey is already here, grabbing throwing knives, her main weapon, and a sword for Evander, who looks barely big enough to handle it, but he can fight well with it.

I search for them, Peeta and Evander, and see them flailing helplessly around in the water, trying to reach land. Elsah and Jonah are coming up a land strip together, managing to escape the clutches of the Careers that are surrounding them.

_They can swim!_ I think as the leap back into the water to come around this side of the Cornucopia, easily avoiding the other tributes, who are either stood silently on their podium, trying to float in the water, or dead.

Dead.

I swivel round, turning my attention back to Peeta and Evander, who are being approached by the girl from 4.

_No!_

I won't reach them in time. I could throw a knife, a spear? But would it work? Maybe not. Instead I leap over, sprinting, determined to knock her out of the way, but Peeta shouts at me to stop.

"No! She's in our alliance! I asked her! Delilah, stop!"

I skid to a halt too fast and fall of the end of the strip of land and into the water. The girl from the fishing district quickly glides over to me, hauling me out back onto the land strip as I cough out the water. Peeta and Evander are copying the girls method to swimming and are now moving closer to me.

"Evander!" Kelsey's relieved voice comes from behind me as she sees her brother, the person she vows to protect with her life.

I look around at my alliance and see that Elsah and Jonah are nearing our land strip, swimming at a steady pace. Kelsey and I have collected enough weapons for our alliance, and the girl from 4 has some, too. I smile as the two tributes that I should have been mentoring, the ones that I still feel obliged to, arrive and haul themselves onto the strip, grabbing a weapon of choice as they do.

I glance around the ring and find the cousins from district one charging towards our alliance.

"Duck!" I shout, and everyone does, watching as the spear glides over our heads.

Kelsey takes off towards the woodish area, and the rest of the alliance follows. She is the most intelligent of all of us, and I trust her more than the others, maybe even more than Peeta.

I leave the strip last, shouting instructions to move, dodge, duck the various weapons thrown at us, but no-one wants to leave the Cornucopia to pursue an alliance with as many people, as many weapons as our has.

We get into the area without much hassle, but I arrive to find a pale-faced Jonah losing blood from his arm at an alarming speed.

"What happened?" I ask, alarmed, looking at everyone for an answer.

"He got cut by a knife." Elsah answers quickly, looking around frantically trying to find something, anything to help him.

"Where from?" This time Elsah doesn't answer, the 4 girl does.

"It came from the side. District 7. You wouldn't have been able to see it." 

"Risanna, pass me some of that moss, please?" Elsah asks her, desperately trying to patch Jonah up.

Risanna. That's her name!

Elsah quickly wraps it round Jonah's arm, and the moss absorbs his blood, stopping it from leaking down his arm, and the colour returns to his face.

I look at my alliance and realise that Peeta isn't tending to Jonah.

"Peeta?" I look round, and quickly locate him, curled up against a tree, knees pulled tightly to his chest. He is almost rocking.

"Peeta? Are you okay?" I ask him.

He doesn't reply. Of course he isn't.

Katniss' POV

President Snow's last words echo in my head. "_Enjoy the Show!"..._

**Done! Yeah, I wasn't very pleased with the chapter, but I thought it was better than nothing. The next one will be better!**

**And for those reading The Harder They Fall, that is also being updated today, the D4 boy and D5 and 6!**


	15. Chapter 15 Relive The Memories

**..disCLAIMER: to own the Hunger Games, you would have to be as awesome as Suzanne Collins. I am not that awesome...**

**HERE! New chapter!...**

Delilah's POV  


Shaking. He is shaking. And I mean really, really shaking. Violently. I run over to him, grabbing his arm, but he doesn't notice me. He is staring ahead, rocking.

"Kelsey!" I shout, and she quickly notices what I want, and jogs over, crouching down in front of Peeta.

"Peeta? It's me. Kelsey." No response. He doesn't even blink.

"Peeta. Listen to me, we need to leave. The Careers, they will be coming soon, and we don't want to run into District 2..."

He begins blinking rapidly, tears streaming down his cheeks, and I flash back to a moment n my own life.

_My mum is sat against the wall in the main room of the house. She is shaking, whispering my Dad's name over and over again, but he is gone. Left her. Us. She begins to rock..._

I immediately link this moment in my life to now.

"Peeta! You can't break! No!" I shout at him, but he doesn't notice.

But I know now, what has happened. He has had a nervous breakdown. The thought of her being there, but not being able to have her, love her, having to relive the memories...

"We need to carry him!" I shout, and Jonah helps Risanna and I haul him up, but he is shaking so badly that we can't get him far.

"Help. Please?" I whisper silently, wanting someone to answer my prayers as they place him on the ground, panting.

Then, as the cannons from the bloodbath ring through the arena, an earthquake splits through the ground, enveloping one member of our alliance before anyone blinks.

I scream.

Katniss' POV

The scream that comes out of my mouth isn't all Delilah's. It is mine, too. Mine as I watch him, shaking, tears falling down his cheeks, fall through the the crack that the earthquake causes.

I watch as the expression on his face remains unchanged as he plummets down the hole.

Another cannon.

"No!" I scream.

Wait, I scream? Delilah is stood there, speechless, looking down the gap. But there are screams coming from my mouth, and I begin slamming the screen.

Then, the door opens. And in walks the man. The man who has caused the boy I love to die. Caused him to break. Caused me to spit on him.

President Snow.

"Fast, wasn't it? I must admit, I thought it would take longer to break him, but, no. You broke him. Now, Miss Everdeen, there is a very important man who needs to speak to you."

And with that, I am blindfolded and dragged, still screaming Peeta's name, down a corridor, tossed into an elevator. Alone.

I stay as I am until I hear the 'ding' that signals my arrival. Then, I slip the blindfold from my eyes, and find myself looking at a man in a purple robe.

Plutarch Heavensbee.

But someone much more important stood behind him catches my eyes.

Peeta.

Prim's POV  


"No!" I cry, clenching my fists, hammering them into Rory's chest as he holds me.

"No! He can't be dead! It just started! No!"

I pull him closer, wrapping my arms around him.

"Why? Why Peeta?" I sob, looking up into Rory's eyes. Seam eyes. Eyes that now have tears flowing out of them, silently running down his face,

"They broke him." He replies, and he pulls me closer. Then we cry together.

Rory and I . Delilah and her alliance. We both have someone, Delilah and me. What upsets me more is that Katniss is alive somewhere, and I am sure she saw that.

But she doesn't have anyone.

Alone.

**That's it. I have exams this week and next, and a bad cold, and I didn't want to write total rubbish. Update tomorrow though! **

**Please tell me what you think! REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16 Warning Cry

**DISCLAIMER: Hunger Games! I do NOT own them. Yet...**

**HERE! New chapter like I promised! Wooooo!**

Katniss' POV  


He is shaking, like he was on screen, but I pull his head up and when his eyes meet mine, he blinks at he in disbelief before launching himself at me, knocking me to the ground. Then I'm kissing him, and he is kissing me and I am glad, so glad that I have him here.

We are interrupted by a small cough, and I turn around to see Plutarch Heavensbee behind me.

Then he is ushering us into the hovercraft and I cling to Peeta's hand. I feel dizzy and I hear shouting from below as they see the hovercraft rise into the air.

I turn to Plutarch. "What's going on?" I ask bluntly, and he laughs.

"Where are we going?" Peeta this time, and Plutarch answers after what feels like an eternity.

"To District 13." He replies. I almost fall of my seat.

"But...13 was destroyed!" I gasp, and Plutarch shakes his head, laughing...

Delilah's POV  


The faces light the sky.

The first face to light the sky is the girl from 3, quickly followed by the boy. Then the boy from 4. Risanna's brother.

Our little alliance turns to face her, and her face remains emotionless as she watches the sky.

District 8 are next, followed by 9 and then the girl from 10.

Last is a face that makes the tears come to my eyes again. Peeta.

His blue eyes twinkle at me and I feel bad, so bad that I didn't save him.

"Lila?" Kelsey asks, and I turn. No one ever calls me that, but I like it.

"I'm okay." I say, standing up from the rock in the jungle I had been sat on. We have been walking straight for the rest of the day and I'm tired, but we need to keep going. I sigh as I pull myself up, wiping the tears that are dripping down my cheeks away.

Kelsey is about to take the lead, but Jonah insists on doing so, and with his chest puffed out, head held high, its hard to say no. So we don't.

He gets his sword out and begins slashing through the vines, but the faces 9 dead tributes are swirling through my head.

_Peeta._

Then I hear the start of a warning cry and the scream of pain. My head shoots up and I see Elsah rushing towards Jonah, who is collapsed on the floor.

And I see the forcefield that must be surrounding the arena flash, showing the real world outside, a barren landscape, before flashing back to its jungle reflection.

I charge towards Jonah, who is on the floor, the smell of singed hair filling the air. I watch as Elsah strips of his shirt, pumping over his heart desperately, but then Risanna pushes him out the way, and begins kissing Jonah.

Elsah is about to slap her, but I grab her hand and point out that she isn't kissing him, but doing CPR.

"Where they blow air into his lungs." I explain, telling her the technics of it.

I hear him cough and watch as he whispers in Elsah's ear.

The she kisses him.

He looks totally stunned, but he kisses her back, and I smile.

_Gale..._ I want him so badly it hurts.

**Yeah... This is shorter than yesterday's, so just think of it as an extension to yesterday's...**

**THANK YOU to PureAtHeart and KelsNicole92 for support and ideas for this story, YOU guys are AWESOME! **


	17. Chapter 17 Trapped

**DISCLAIMER...The Hunger Games! Owned by the incredibly amazing Suzanne Collins. Unfortunately, last time I checked, I wasn't her. So I don't own them.**

**Sorry for no updates! I have been really busy with my other story, The Harder They Fall. PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL FOR YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER! **

**Thank you to **Girlwho3stheBoyWithTheBread ** for the suggestion of Gale's POV :)**

Gale's POV

I watch the screen, wanting,aching for her to come home. I see the pain in her eyes, the want when she sees the two best friends from five kiss.

He almost died, the boy, Jonah. I know Delilah feels responsible for them, so I want them to do well, but I still need her to win. Need. We need her to win, she has to.

I hear a beeping noise and realise that reflection, whatever that is, is over. I glance at my arm, which is imprinted with a schedule of the day, and find relief when I realise that it is time for the evening meal. I leave the compartment and see Katniss and Peeta leaving theirs, too. They are kissing, and when they break apart they are smiling, holding hands, walking down to the dining hall. Together.

A stab of pain runs through me. Why? Why do I always lose the one I love? First Madge, who I saw die... and now Delilah, who I have to watch fight to the death to come home.

I am just entering the dining hall when another round off beeping fills the room. This time, it signals an event turn in the Games. I break through the doors, shoving people out of my way to reach the screen in the centre of the room. Since no-one here has any attachment to the tributes, I receive looks that make me think I'm crazy. I ignore them and scan the room, finding Peeta also sat anxiously next to the screen, waiting for the black static to change to picture.

_I'm hunting in the woods. Doing something, anything to get away from there. The house. Filled with family who feel sorry for me, a brother with a girl, watching as they see the horror they are supposed to be living. The girl has her head buried in his chest, and he is holding her close as the earthquake that makes Peeta's cannon fire shakes through the arena, echoing through the room._

_I had to leave. But where to?_

_The lake. Katniss showed it to me once, but I remembered the way here. I sit in the house, well the room that has been filled with a log fire, and do nothing. That is, until the hovercraft appears. There is nowhere to go. The stream of smoke leaving the chimney gives away my location, and the hovercraft is landing, there is nowhere to go. _

_Trapped._

Trapped. That's what I was then. Now I'm here. The hovercraft brought me to 13. I was there when they picked him up. Him, broken like he was when he was in the arena. Until he saw her. Katniss. The horror in her eyes when she saw him, the joy at seeing him alive mixed with the pain of seeing him hurt.

Trapped. Like Delilah is now. Except Kelsey is in there with her to.

They don't know they are trapped, but we can see. See as the jabberjays begin to perch on branches high above. I watch as they open their mouths and begin to scream.

Mine. My scream fills the arena, and I see the look of horror fill her face, and she takes off through the trees of the jungle, chasing it down.

Screaming my name.

Delilah's POV  


"Gale! Gale!" I scream. His voice, his screams, so full of pain, agony. "Gale!"

I feel the sound of his voice get louder, louder, and as I burst into a small clearing, I can hear him closer, closer. He is close.

"Gale!" Where is he? I search frantically for him, but he isn't here.

The sound is coming from above, and as I search the branches, I see it.

A jabberjay. They replicate human voices, sounds. To confirm my suspicions, I grab the smallest of the throwing knives in my belt and throw it. The sounds of Gale's screams halt, and I watch the bird fall to the floor.

"Lila?" Kelsey charges into the clearing. We had been gathering herbs when the screams started, so she must have followed me. I look at the jabberjay on the floor, remove my knife. I guess I should feel more relief that it wasn't really Gale, but this is worse.

They got those screams out of him somehow, sometime, someplace, but if he were here, I could help him. But he isn't.

"I'm okay." I say to Kelsey shakily, "It was just a-" I am cut off by the sound of a girls scream. Kelsey's face immediately fills with the same horror mine must have had, and she takes off uphill, leaving me no choice to follow her.

I catch up with her eventually, and find her sitting under a tree, crying. "Kels?" I ask, "are you okay?"

The screams are echoing around the arena, the jabberjay yet to be silenced. I throw my knife, already wet with the blood of the other jabberjay, and kill it. It drops to the floor with a resounding thud. But Kelsey is already up, walking down hill back to the alliance.

We run as other jabberjays start to sing. Rory, Prim, Peeta, Katniss... all the voices of the people I care about are ringing through my brain. I can't kill them all.

Anger surges through me when I see Evander, Jonah and Elsah waiting for us. Why aren't they helping us?

Then I smack into the wall. Kelsey skids to a halt behind me, and I nurse my hip, which took the force of the blow. We are trapped.

I can see their lips moving but can't hear them. I can only hear Kelsey screaming warning to our alliance as they are approached by... what is that?

They can't hear our warnings, though, and as the mutt, which is a creative mixture of large animals, creeps up to them from behind.

Powerless.

Trapped.

Kelsey's screams echo around me...

**I hope you like! Please, please vote on the POLL which is for your favourite The Harder They Fall character! Even if you don't have a tribute, you can sponsor one! So read? Please?**

**:)**


	18. Chapter 18 Powerless

**Hola lectores! tengo una actualización para ti! Haha, sorry, I had a spanish exam today and am still in the zone...**

**SORRY for no updates! I had a Religious Ed exam and Spanish to revise, and there WON'T be one tomorrow, as I have Geography on friday, and desperately need to revise.**

Delilah's POV

I hold her tight as we listen to the screams of the jabberjays. But now I am thankful, because it stops us from hearing the screams of our alliance on the other side of the wall.

The wall doesn't stop us hearing the sound of the cannon.

Slowly, the jabberjays begin to retreat, but I don't look up from the huddle Kelsey and I are crouched in until I feel hands on my shoulders. I look up and see Elsah, blood running down her face, scratches running down her arms, stood above me holding Jonah's hand so tightly that there are nail marks in his palm.

My eyes flicker around and I see Risanna wrapping a bandage of moss around a gaping hole in her leg.

I look at Kelsey, that determination to get her brother home that was once in her eyes gone, leaving a dull empty space, void of all emotion. I pull her up, and am about to tell her that it will be okay, that everything is okay, that her little brother is just around the corner, behind the trees, but I stop myself.

How could I tell her that? It's not true. It won't be okay, everything won't be okay, her brother isn't just around the corner, behind the trees. How could I ever tell her that? Instead I tell her something else.

"He wants this for you. You need to keep going. For him." I look into her eyes, those brown eyes filled with tears that are threatening to spill. She looks into mine, my eyes that were once amber, once mine, real. Those eyes that are now blue, fake. And her brown eyes become filled with that fierce determination again, to avenge his death.

Kelsey's POV  


Pain. That's all I feel now. A stab of agony as we wall along, following the circle we were following before. Ever since Jonah hit the forcefield, Elsah has insisted on leading the group, and we have been following this since. We walk forever, and I find some nuts and turn to offer Evander some, before realising her isn't her anymore.

_I can hear the jabberjay's mimicking his screams, playing out to the horror outside. The horror that I can't protect him from. I throw myself at the wall over and over again, trying to help, to get away from here to help him, but I can't. I'm trapped. _

_Powerless to help. I end up watching my little brother, my ray of sunshine, be ripped apart by some Capitol mutt. To shreds. I can hear the Jabberjays mimicking his screams._

_He can't hear mine, though. He can't hear my screams as I watch his be ripped to shreds, destroyed. _

_Killed._

"Kelsey?" Elsah stops me, pulling me out of the living nightmare.

"I tried to save him, I did..."

She trails off, but the thought of her trying to save him makes me feel better. The thought that someone cared.

"Thank you." I say sincerely, and Elsah looks slightly taken aback, but she smiles and carries on leading the group.

_At least someone cared..._

**This was sooooooooo short, but my brain has gone numb from revision of the Geography kind. I was tempted to write in about Coastal Defences, but I didn't think you readers would appreciate that, and I don't want to write _complete_ rubbish.**


	19. Chapter 19 Background Music

**Disclaimer: The Hunger Games! Yep. They aren't mine.**

**Half term holidays! I have no school for a week now, so hopefully I can update everyday! Yay!**

Prim's POV  


I watch as the girl throws herself continuously at the wall, screaming as the beast that is attacking the alliance charges again. This time, they aren't so lucky. The boy and girl from 5 roll out of the way, and the girl from 4 leaps up and tries to bring the little boy from 11 with her, but his leg is oozing out blood and looks broken from the previous attack from the beast.

He yells in pain as he tries to put weight on his leg, as the girl tries to pull him out of the way. I know that he can't do it. I watch the girl try in vain to lift him,, but she is small, and even though he is smaller, with her injuries she can't.

The beast charges, leaning forward so its blood red horns will be the first thing to make contact with the victim.

And they are.

I watch the boy scream and wither in agony as the horns piece his abdomen, as the pair from 5 throw knives into the beast in an effort to kill it, as the girl from 4 tries in vain to release the boy from it's grip.

But most of all, I watch the girl, his older sister, try so desperately to break down that wall, to reach the little boy, her little brother, and save him. I watch her sink to the floor in desperation as the beast charges again, hitting the boy in the chest this time.

Her screams of agony fill the air with the sound of his cannon.

_I am screaming at the television, begging Katniss to kill her, do anything to come back to me. Tears are streaming down my face as she throws her bow and arrow to the floor, as Rue's land on top of it. I am banging my hands on the floor as Delilah goes running for her, crying as she bounces off the wall that separates her from my sister. I press my hands against the glass screen of the television, the wall that separates me from saving my sister. I watch as the dome that she was in explodes, as her cannon is covered with the sounds of the trumpets that are announcing Delilah's victory..._

The recaps of the day in the Games are over, and we are taken back to the tributes, who are watching the sky come alight with the faces of the dead of today, and the Anthem of Panem plays the background music to their deaths...

I bury my head into Rory, trying to stop memories of my sister coming back into my head, sobbing.

Delilah's POV  


The anthem plays and I stare up at the sky as the faces light up. Only one today.

Evander.

I turn to Kelsey, who is staring blankly at the sky. I walk over to sit with her and suggest making camp, but despite everything, all the pain and emotion that everybody has felt over these past few days, we have already slept and nobody is really tired enough to sleep again, so we get up to move again. We all re bandage our growing list of wounds, collect our weapons, which are decreasing in amount since a number of knives and arrows were lost fighting the beast. We are about to leave when there is the sound of twelve tolls and a strike of lightening, in exactly the same place as last time.

Then a silver parachute floats down next to Kelsey's feet. She opens it and reveals a selection of bread rolls. I walk over to it and counts them.

"22." I say after placing them back into the basket they arrived in. Risanna comes over from weaving bowls to look at them.

"They're from 11, right Kelsey?" She looks over to her, and she nods. Risanna's eyes are wide with despair after that is confirmed. She shakes her head slightly at the sky, and is about to say something when a cannon and the sound of a girl's shrieking cuts us off.

"Which way?" I ask, looking around my beat-up alliance. We don't want to head towards the lightening, but if we go in the other direction we are more than likely to run into the shrieking girl. We could always go down the middle, but that is where we came from, and I don't want to run into the...beast thing again.

"That way?" Elsah suggests, pointing in the direction of the screams. We all nod in agreement and begin our journey.

The more we walk, the thirstier I get. After Evander died, we received a bottle of water, but it's gone now.

"Water?" I ask the sky, hoping that Haymitch is up there, listening. I quickly decide he must be, as a parachute floats down, landing in my hands. I unravel it quickly to reveal a silver instrument that looks like a tap.

I turn to everyone else. "Any idea what this is?" I hand it Elsah and they pass it round, all shaking their head to indicate their answer to my question. Risanna passes it back to me and I tuck it away, searching my brain for the answer.

Since none is forthcoming, we carry on our journey through the jungle, the screams of a young woman and her sorrow echoing around us.

**Yay! I hope you all liked it! And if anyone is looking for any more Hunger Games fics, please check out KelsNicole92's, hers are AMAZING.**

**Do it! And even if you hated this story, review! Please!**


	20. Chapter 20 Guest Chapter!

**I have writers block. REALLY BAD. Sooooo...**

**I am doing a GUEST CHAPTER.**

**Write whatever you like in it, except:**

**..No more alliance members die.**

**..They don't leave the arena.**

**..It must include someone dying.**

**..It must include the colour red.**

**..They must meet the crying woman.**

**..It must be at least 900 words long.**

**..It must have the POV from someone in the arena, and someone not.**

**PLEASE SUBMIT! You will get full credit!**

**SUBMIT THEM TO ME THROUGH _PM._**

**Sorry, and thank you!**

**it-was-enchanting**


	21. Chapter 21 The Price We All Pay

**Wooooooo! Thank you all sooo much for the submissions! They were amazing! I loved 3 especially, so I used a POV from each one... is that cheating? So the winners are PureAtHeart, Kamil The Awesome and KelsNicole92! **

**YAY!**

**

* * *

Delilah's POV (PureAtHeart)**

We sprint our hardest, right in the direction of the crying woman's voice. Part of me is convinced it's a trap. The other tributes could be setting us up for all we know. But the pain that I hear in that wretched shriek couldn't be planned. The woman sounds as if her brother was brutally murdered right before her eyes. Kelsey begins to slow, but I quickly grab her hand just as we burst through the trees, and a frightening sight lies before my eyes.

It's the woman from District 2; I recognize her from training. I remember offering her an alliance with Kelsey and me, but she refused. She was strong for a sixteen year old; no one would ever want to cross paths with her if she held an axe in her hands. She is looking at something in the distance; something in her part of the arena. The fear in her eyes is unlike anything I've seen. An axe is clutched so tightly in her right hand that the knuckles are white.

Jonah discovers we can't reach her to help. Another force field has blocked our path. But why would the Gamemakers allow us to hear her screams? To frighten us and drive us to the verge sanity? Another shriek causes me to escape my thoughts, and my eyes focus on the woman. Every one of us is watching her intently, wondering what could scare such a strong woman.

From the direction that she is facing, what looks like a giant cloud of fog floats towards her. A cry of fright escapes the woman's lips as she takes off running the opposite way. I turn towards my alliance.

"Should we follow her? Don't you want to know what the heck that was?" I ask, though it comes out more as a demand.

Kelsey nods. "We should figure out what that was so we know to stay away." The rest of the group follows Kelsey and me as we follow the side of the force field, the woman's cries aiding us. Then, suddenly they stop. Risanna freezes, her eyes wide with fear.

"What just hap-" She doesn't get the chance to finish because a blood-curdling shriek echoes around us. I take off towards the source, following them again. The woman is just a few feet in front of me, trapped by the force field that encloses her inside. She is on her knees hands touching the wall, sobbing like mad. I run and kneel beside her, placing my hands to her own.

"Its okay," I say, praying she can hear me. I say this over and over again, hoping that I tell the truth. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the cloud approaching. But it's not a cloud; I'm sure clouds don't buzz. It's a swarm of insects, and they are heading straight for her. "Run!" I shout. "They are right behind you! Get out of there!" She looks me in the eyes, and my heart sinks.  
She is giving up.

Before I can talk her out of it, she stands, nods to me, and runs straight into the swarm. I screaming at her, telling her not to do it and slamming my fists against the force field. Strong hands pull me back, and I hear Jonah's voice in my ear.

"There's nothing you can do, Delilah. She couldn't take it and sacrificed herself." I watch her last moments. The bugs envelop her, and I hear her bone-chilling screams, filled with so much pain and fear I can hardly bare to listen. But just as suddenly as they came, they left, and my eyes found what was left of her. A cannon booms. The strong woman who could kill when she held an axe, who refused my alliance because she knew she could face it alone, is now barely recognizable. Flesh is missing on parts of her body, creating an eerie red pool of blood.

I drop to my knees. No one deserves to die this way. Heck, no one in this arena deserves to die at all. It's cruel what the Capitol does. If I wasn't in this dang arena, I would make sure to start a rebellion. One that without a doubt could overthrow the Capitol.

A hand touches my shoulder, and I look up into the eyes of Elsah. "Delilah, we need to go," she says. "The hovercraft will be here soon to pick up the body. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

I nod and stand up, and our small broken alliance sets off to the east, not knowing what to expect or what the future will bring.

Then I see them.

**

* * *

Katniss's POV (Kamil The Awesome)**

Peeta is sleeping like a baby right next to me and I'm free to do whatever I  
like as we fly to District 13. Which basically means I'm just playing with  
his hair. Plutarch is up front, talking with some other men involved with the  
rebellion; I find myself tempted to slip up to the door leading into the area  
in which they're talking and just listen to what they're saying. After a  
while, I find my legs pull me over to the doorway and the voices become  
clearer.

"So do you think that she'll get the message that Haymitch has been sending  
each morning?" An older man starts to shake his head.

"I don't think so, but I've come to expect big things out of this 'Delilah'  
girl. At least she was able to set up Peeta and Katniss into the perfect  
position to lead the rebellion if she dies before the twenty-second hour of  
the eleventh day of these Games." The speaker's head moves around. "You sure  
your tribute Kelsey knows, Chaff?"

"Of course. If there's only one thing I told that girl, it was the secret  
message in the rolls." A mumbling laughter comes out and before I can retreat  
to my seat, the pilot yells something out that scares me.

"District 12 is under attack! It appears that the Capitol has sent an armada  
of hovercrafts to bomb the district. The intercepted radio message says that  
only an eighth of the population made it out alive and that the hovercrafts  
are making no move to attack them. Are we going in for a rescue?" I pause,  
trying to control my breathing.

"We might as well." As footsteps approach, I find myself running to Peeta's  
side.

**

* * *

Kelsey's POV (KelsNicole92)**

Amarisa and Corden are standing in front of us, their eyes are deadly. The smell of blood fills the air and anger courses through me. I stare at them and before I can think of anything else to do, I throw a knife at Amarisa and she slumps forward, it cut her in her leg and she cries out in pain. Before I can finish her off Corden throws a knife at me and I step out of the way. Delilah easily finishes Amarisa off and she turns to look at me. Corden turns and runs away, no one attempts to follow him. My body feels like it could break into a thousand pieces and as I stare at the dead body...I think about Evander. I couldn't save him...

"We have to keep going." Delilah's voice brings me back to the present and I nod my head. I have to keep going, there's no way that I can give up. "Come on..."

I watch as Delilah leads us on, but she stops in a small clearing and I stop right next to her. Someone's laying on the ground, the bloods still gushing out of her and I recognize her a minute later. The girl is barley breathing and Delilah carefully takes a step toward her. Everyone else stays where they are, except for me, I follow Delilah and I watch as she takes something out of the girls hand.

"Serane." The girl whispers and I see a small smile on her lips. I stare at her and watch as Delilah holds up the necklace that Serane was desperately gripping onto. Delilah looks up at me and hands it to me, its a small red half-heart shaped necklace and we both look back down at her. "My father...gave it...to mother...take it."

The light leaves her eyes and I think about giving her back the locket, but the hovercraft is coming to take her body away. My eyes flash back down to the locket as I think about where I've seen this before. While everyone else is talking about where we go next, I pull my necklace out and into view. It's the same necklace as the one that I'm wearing. Taking a deep breath I hold them together and they fit perfectly. For a few minutes I stop breathing and I look back up at the others, no ones looking at me. Slowly I slip the other necklace around my neck and hide them from view.

"I...think that we should go that way." My hand is trembling as I point my finger in a direction. Everyone looks over at me and they nod their heads. "That way seems to be the safest, whoever killed Serane probably went the opposite way."

"Who wants to lead?" Delilah asks and I volunteer. As I walk side by side with her, I think about what I really have left. Nothing. I lost the one thing that kept me going in this living hell and I failed him. "Kelsey, are you okay?"

Nodding my head I continue to lead them on and my thoughts go back to the necklace that Serane had. "The necklace, that was kind of...different, don't you think?"

"It must have been her token." She says with a small shrug and I nod my head. "Why did she want us to have it though?"

"I don't...know." My mind is racing as I think about when my brother gave me the necklace, he told me to keep it safe. "We'll find out sooner or later."

**

* * *

They were AH-MAZ-ING and I had to use them all. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! A massive THANK YOU to everyone else who submitted, you all ROCK!**


	22. Chapter 22 We Go Out With A Bang

**DISCLAIMER: you got me. I own the Hunger Games. JOKE.**

**I am SO sorry for not updating! I have been crazy busy this week, but I took time out to write this.. hahahaha..**

**This chapter was co-written by the amazing I'mWithTheMockingjay, because I was waaaaaaaaay to tired to do it by myself! (: **

**Have Fun! **

Delilah's POV

We trek through the jungle for almost three hours to find a good camp-site, but I suppose this gives us time to reflect on the events that have unravelled in the past day. I glance over at Kelsey, to see that the girl I had once knew to be strong had withered into this unrecognisable being. I sigh, my hatred for the monstrosity that I know to be of blame grow stronger. The Capitol.

Eventually we find a clear place to set up camp and I look over at Kelsey again, she's been unusually quiet through the rest of the journey. We start to discuss the time when we hear a CRASH and see the gigantic wave rush up the beach, reaching the edge were we have chosen to camp.

The arrival of a silver parachute brings our battered alliance together. Kelsey is the first to reach it and quickly unravels the package, a bit to eager to find out what is inside. When the package opens the look of confusion fills her face.

"These rolls are from 5, right?"She asks, picking up a roll from the basket.

"Yep." I answer, confused by her interest, I mean, what does it matter, really? Foods food.

Kelsey then goes on to count the rolls, and with Risanna's help, they show that, once again, there are 22. They whisper together, but I can't hear them. I don't care enough to try and eavesdrop, either.

"Delilah?" Kelsey's voice approaches me, and I turn round from watching the ocean to face her again.

"How many days have we been here for?"

I try to think. One, Two, Three, Four. Then today.

"Five, I think." I answer. "...why?"

The look of a strange joy that fills Kelsey's face momentarily fades.

"I was just...wondering."

This girl is a terrible liar. But I pretend to believe her, and now the waves of the ocean have settled enough for me to suggest sleep.

"Hey." This time it is Risanna who is approaching me. "Umm, this wave? Do you think it starts at ten, or peaks at ten?"

Yeah. We figured out that the arena was a clock of some sort yesterday, when the lightening struck. Elsah figured it out.

"Well, I think it is a little before ten right now, so my guess would be that it peaks at ten." 

I'm not worried that the peak of the wave will reach the beach from where we are, and I just presume that she is just worried.

Kelsey leans forward to pick up a dish that Risanna had placed on the floor, and the two necklaces she has on fall from where they had been underneath her top.

Wait. Two necklaces? She only has one...

The one Serane gave her. It fits into the necklace, the other half that she already had as her token, perfectly.

I am about to ask her what it's about, when the wave reaches its peak, and both Kelsey and Risanna leap up, grabbing Risanna's throwing knife, which now has a string of wire tied to it, and throw it into a wavy spot in the force field surrounding the arena that I have never noticed before.

Then, the arena blows up.

**Gale's POV  
**

We are all in the canteen, staring at the giant screen, when Katniss bursts in.

I hadn't even noticed she'd gone.

Peeta jumps up awake from his sleep as the door bangs, and Katniss runs frantically over to him, before meeting my eyes and gesturing urgently for me to come over.

I see the panic in her grey eyes, Seam eyes, and I can almost feel the hysteria radiating from her.

I jog over and grab her by the wrists.

She's shaking.

"Katniss! Katniss?" Peeta and I are trying to make sense of the jumble of words coming from her mouth. "Katniss!"

Peeta pushes me out the way, so he is the one holding Katniss instead. Then he kisses her.

She stops shaking, and when he pulls back, she strings together a sentence.

"D-District Twelve...it's been bombed."

Then I'm running, running towards Command.

But not before I turn back, catching a glimpse of the screen showing the arena in the canteen.

Long enough to see it, and the love of my life, get blown up.


	23. Chapter 23 They Are Going To Break Me

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Hunger Games. Yeah? Yeah.**

**THANK YOU to my AMAZING beta KelsNicole92! READ her stories, they ROCK!**

**I couldn't make you wait longer to find out about who escaped, so here! …...**

Delilah's POV

_Risanna launches the knife into the air and it sails through the patch in the force field. Light catching the shine of the golden wire, which I realise is attached to a tree. Then suddenly, everyone is screaming and a wave of pain surges through me, and I feel myself loose control as my body convulses, waves of electric shocks passing through me, agonisingly painful, but not as bad as hearing the screams of agony coming from my friends, as the trees burst into flames and come crashing down around us..._

I wake up, thrashing around in my bed, screaming.

Then I think. Bed? What?

I try and sit up, but the band restraining my waist pulls me down almost immediately. I squirm around until it loosens enough for me to pull myself out of it. I stumble as I stand up and sway, grabbing hold of the table to help me steady myself.

I look around for some clothes, as I am only wearing a robe, but quickly give up and head for the door.

"Delilah?" I am in the hallway now, and turn to the sound of the voice.

When I realise who it is, I am running. Straight into his arms.

"Gale!" I exclaim, and he lifts me up, spinning me around as I clutch to him. My head is spinning even more now, but I couldn't care less.

I bury my face into his shoulder and he sets me down on the ground, but he doesn't release me.

I pull away just far enough so that we can kiss.

"Delilah?" He lets me go and I lean against the wall to steady myself, and I can tell by his tone that this isn't going to be good news.

I look into his eyes, his grey Seam eyes, and see a.. cautiousness, uncertainty in them.

"Gale? What is it?" I hear him take a deep breath.

"It's Kelsey..." I look at him and suddenly piece it together.

"Where is she, Gale?"

He looks away, breaking our eye contact. But I already know what his answer will be before he says it.

"The Capitol took her."

Of course they did. They took the only person left in their reach, my closest friend.

To break me.

Kelsey's POV

Pain. That's all I can feel. Pain.

I can hear his screaming. Jonah's. The pain filled in his voice reminds me of the pain that I felt when I lost Evander.

Because she's not here. Elsah. She's with the rebels. With Delilah and Risanna.

But I'm not there. I'm here. I'm in the Capitol.

Not just me. Jonah, and there are 3 others.

So many cannons fired that night. I don't remember how many. I just remember running, running.

I tried to reach Delilah, I did, but she was in the water, and we can't go into the water. Shocks.

She got shocked. Electric shocks. I could see her, convulsing on the ground, shaking.

Now it's me. Shocks. I scream as the water in the cell rise up, and the currents run through it.

I hear a chorus of other screams join mine, and in the mask of pain I vaguely wonder how they are being tortured.

_Sparkel and Donivi, District 1. They are here... and...Paprika. District 2. She was the one they all _thought _was dead. They thought she had died with the birds, screaming at the loss of her brother. She was damaged, badly. But the cannon they thought signalled her death wasn't for her._

Their screams are swallowing me up now, engulfing me in a wave of pain that never seems to be able to wash away.

The shocks in the water are getting stronger now, and I want more than anything to black out, but they won't let me. Whenever I feel myself start to slip away, they intensify the shocks, bringing them and every other feeling forward, so that they are so intense, so powerful that I could never block them out.

They are back now. The guards. They are barking questions out now, demanding the answers they know I have.

They will never get them.

I feel myself slipping away again, and I hope, pray that this time they will let me drift...

But who knows? Maybe the nightmares will be worse than this reality...


	24. Chapter 24 So Do My Secrets

**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do NOT own the Hunger Games. I wish.**

**There will be NO update tomorrow, as I have a Hockey match and won't have time.. **

**THANK YOU to the AWESOME KelsNicole92, who wrote Kelsey's POV for this chapter and was also the beta! This chapter wouldn't have been ready if she hadn't have do that, so THANK YOU! **

**Enjoy! **

Delilah's POV

I sink to the floor, defeated.

"They have her? Are you sure?" I look up to Gale, and see the pain in his eyes as he nods his head in reply and I know he isn't lying.

"Delilah!" I whip my head around in recognition of the voice.

"Peeta!" I push myself off of the floor and spin around, looking at the boy that I though had died five days ago.

He is completely transformed. The boy that couldn't talk, move and sat shaking on the ground that day, the day he plummeted down the crack formed by the Gamemaker made earthquake.

Now, he is a boy who's bright blue eyes are twinkling with happiness, the blond curls that fall over his forehead bouncing with the spring in his step. I am momentarily confused with his complete transformation, but it washes over me when I see who's hand his own is attached to.

He sprints over and hugs me, letting Katniss' hand drop briefly, before releasing me and regaining hold of it. Gale quickly gains hold of my arms when I start to fall over, my head spinning.

"You're okay!" I gasp, and Peeta nods, smiling. I turn to Katniss and realise the guilt I have been feeling about saying that I wouldn't save her and jeopardise the rebellion has been building up inside me.

"I'm sorry!" I blurt out , resulting in a confused look from her. I quickly explain the conversation Peeta had with Snow. How he asked me to stop the rebellion to save her life. How I refused...

"I'm sorry..." I finish, looking down in shame, but Katniss grabs my hands, looking into my eyes.

"No. I would give _anything_ to help the rebellion. Even my life."

I admire her and her bravery, and realise that I lack in it so much compared to her, but with her forgiveness I feel the load of guilt I have been carrying become lighter. My strength begins to return.

And with that strength, I have the power to overpower the Capitol.

And get Kelsey back.

Kelsey POV

Agony.

That is the only word I can use to describe the feelings I have right now.

I can't think of anything else. Just the pain that is present now.

My head drops forward and I allow a few tears to escape from my eyes. Looking back up I take a deep breath and start to choke. Even breathing hurts. The man stares at me and starts laughing, but we'll see who has the last laugh.

"Are you ready to talk?" He asks me and he dangles the two necklaces in front of me. Now its my turn to laugh, because the necklaces are deadly...at least to him and as long as soon as he puts them down he'll see what they can do. "Speak up."

"I won't tell you anything." Maybe its the lack of sleep, but right now this is funny to me. The man steps back nodding his head and I watch as he moves to put down the necklaces. "Are you sure?"

Smiling I nod my head a little. "Don't put down the necklaces or that will be the last stupid decision that you make."

"The necklaces? What about them?" He demands and I just shake my head. I start laughing and I try to ignore the pain, the excruciating pain. "You are weak, so why not play along with my games? Just tell me what I want to know and I'll let you get some rest."

"Okay..." I say and he moves closer. When he is right in front of me I spit in his face and start laughing. His hand hits my face and I feel the sting from the slap, but its not worse than the other pain. "Do whatever you want to do to me. I don't care...I am not weak."

He shakes his head. "You are weak! Soon you will be begging to answer my questions!"

"Not after what you've done to me. Haven't you realised it yet?" He stares at me and I just smile at him. "You can do whatever the hell that you want to do to me. This pain is nothing to me. My brother is dead because of all of you and I will give up anything for this to end. Do you think killing me will help you at all?"

"If you aren't any use to me, then why should I keep you alive?" He asks me with a wide smile.

I nod my head a little. "Because if I die, so do my secrets. None of the others know what I know and you'll figure that out soon."

He walks over to me and stares at me for a minute. The next thing that I know he's putting the two necklaces around my neck, a small smile on his lips. I try to act infuriated, but this is what I wanted. The necklaces are important.

After he looks at me for a second longer he turns away and walks back across the room. "Let's see if we can loosen your tongue now, shall we?"

The pain comes back and I want to start screaming.

**YAY! And also, I send virtual cookies to anyone who guessed that the name Delilah came from my all time favorite song, Hey There Delilah, by the Plain White T's! **

**READ KelsNicole92's stories. They are wayyy better than this! **


	25. Chapter 25 'Clinically Insane'

**DISclaimer: I wish I owned the Hunger Games. I don't.**

**LAST CHAPTER! Yeah, I know, this was still a pretty short story, but there WILL be a sequel! THANK YOU to my amazing friend and Beta Kelsey! She is AH-MAZ-ING. Wooo!**

**So here we go, the last chapter of Without The Girl On Fire...**

Delilah's POV

I try to listen to them, I really do. But I can't. Why should I?

They talk, talk, talk, to me, and at me. What difference does it make, really?

They think I can't hear what they say about me.

But I do.

They think I'm going crazy. Like Annie Cresta, they say. Losing it.

My mind, they mean.

I tried to listen last time they spoke to me. When they tried to explain.

But why should I care?

They say that they're dead, anyway.

Kelsey and Jonah. That they're dead. Gone.

I didn't save them. I swore I would.

I let them down.

And then I feel my mind spinning, my head pounding.

And he tries. I know he does. Gale.

He tries talking to me. And I try even harder to listen to what he says.

But I can't. After a few words I feel myself slipping from this reality.

And into one with pain and no sense and insecurity.

They know why. Well, they think they do.

Guilt, they say. About not saving them.

They say more, but I can't listen to more, because the thoughts of them make my head spin.

Losing it, they say. Even Gale is slipping from me... giving up...

Gale's POV

I knew before they said it. Before they officially diagnosed her 'clinically insane'. I knew why, too.

I knew that the guilt was eating her alive. The guilt from letting those two, the boy from her home district, the boy she watched fall in love, the boy she watched die and be brought back to life.

And her. The girl. Kelsey. The girl who had become her best friend throughout the hell that she was living. She had to watch with her, powerless as the girls little brother died. The girl who was her confidant.

I could feel her slipping when she knew they weren't here. That the Capitol had them. I could see it in her eyes, as the bright blue-Capitol made blue- twinkle that set them alight faded.

I tried to get her back, tried restoring the hope that they were alive. And it was working, too. I could see her coming back to me, feel it.

Then they told her that they were thought to be dead.

I wish they would have come to me and asked me if they could tell her, before delivering a blow that would knock down the wall we had tried so hard to rebuild.

Then she was gone. I could almost _see _the disappointment crush her. She had tried so hard to keep them alive, to keep her promise to herself that everything would be okay.

And now I'm back to square one. Where I started before. Except now I can't do it. I can't bring her back to our reality.

Because it hurts me, too. And I watch as Katniss and Peeta hold hands, as she pulls up him up the stairs to her compartment in the evening, as they giggle and share their jokes.

And again, like my return from the Capitol when Delilah and Peeta won the Hunger Games, I am left...alone.

Kelsey's POV  


Out. I am out. I burst through the doors, out of the President's mansion, out of the hell I have been living.

Running. I am running. Where to, I don't know. Away from here. Anywhere.

I tried to get the others out, too, but I couldn't. The alarm sounded, and I had to run.

I clutch the necklace tightly, not regretting giving a half to Jonah.

I had to leave him there alone, with the torture, with the pain and the Capitol.

I run past the buildings, people staring at me, my dishevelled image, my wild eyes, my skinny figure, the bruises covering my face.

Then the sirens begin to wail, and the crowds begin to move frantically into nearby buildings, and I look around desperately for a exit. For a plan.

Then the doors burst open and peacekeepers are filing out. I am screaming, running, desperate to find an exit.

Then they grab me, and I'm kicking, screaming, biting, doing anything to get away.

But then they drag me into a building and shut the door.

And I'm not sure the slam of the door and the sound of my screams muffle the sound of the gunshot much.

**BAM! Did you like? This is the LAST CHANCE you get to review this story. **

**SO DO IT.**

**And read the awesome KelsNicole92's stories. All of them have me HOOKED, and they did from the first chapter. (Really, they're my guilty pleasure, but don't tell her...) **


	26. Chapter 26 Fin

**Hi there! Okay, so I want to say THANK YOU to some people here...**

**KelsNicole92, my amazing Beta and friend. You all have her to thank (or scream abuse at) for the continuation of my stories and for giving me some amazing ideas!**

**I'mWithTheMockingjay, my twin sister and amazing friend, who reads my chapters and gives me a totally honest opinion. **

**PureAtHeart, who gives me amazing ideas and reviews and cheers me up! Some of the key ideas here are hers, so blame her, okay! **

**And to...**

**MaryaBadica-Ivashkov**

**GirlWho3sTheBoyWithTheBread**

**lalala445**

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**katzsoa**

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**Colt fan 21**

**HGTRIBUTE**

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**wow. These are all the people who ever reviewed. I didn't realise there were so many. But anyway...**

**YOU ALL ROCK. Thank you all sooooo much, I love reading your reviews, it never fails to make me smile! **

**And now... THE SEQUEL.**

**The Girl Without Both Pieces**

**I love that title, and it was thought up buy the one and only KelsNicole92!**

**THANK YOU again! **

**Fin.**


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